Hadhrat Sultan Bahoo’s (R.A) Social Views and Their Application in Present Era

2. Hadhrat Sultan Bahoo’s (R.A) Social Views and Their Application in Present Era A voluntary association of individuals based on the totality of social relationships are called society. Arabic Dictionary Al-Munjad elucidates the concept of society in these words: “Society implies living together”. Look at the brief and comprehensive definition given in the Oxford Dictionary: “The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community” It is evident from these definitions that society is a group of people having a sense of voluntary association and identity. All its members consider themselves an essential part of it. It is a large, self-sufficient and lifelong kind of group which fills the pressing needs of its members. Various types of people constitute it which keeps them in mutual interaction through cooperation, competition, and confrontation. They usually stand committed to geographical and regional bounds. Society in a broader way can be called comity of human beings and in a much finite sense–a coterie. The word ‘society’ is used to denote both a primitive clan and also a developed urban populace. Human life has always been a grouped phenomenon, whether a smaller or larger; organized or disorganized. Organized society is vital not only for the gratification of human needs but also for the development and nurturing of human personality. Ideologies are developed to run some social set up and society moves on to the course of progress envisaging through these ideologies.

3. The Holy Quran and the Social Views: A society is constituted by individuals. The mutual association of individuals brings about the propagation of the human race. As Allah Almighty Said: O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and He created from the same its mate; and out of the pair, He scattered in multitude men and woman all over the earth. And fear Allah by Whom you plead with one another (for your rights) and beware of cutting asunder the ties of relationship. Verily Allah is a Beholder over you. (Al–Nisa: 1) O, people! Verily We have created you from a male and a female, and have made you different branches and different tribes, so that you may recognize one another. Surely the most honored of you in the presence of Allah is he who is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is the All- Knowing, the All-Aware. (Al-Hujurat: 13) •And the sky! He it is Who has raised it high and set up the Balance (of justice)- •That you may not transgress in the balance. •And keep up the weight with justice, and fall not short in the measure. (Al-Rehman: 7,8,9) O you who believe! fear Allah and give up what yet remains due to you from interest, if you are true believers. And if you do not do so, then take notice of the declaration of war from Allah and His Apostle; and if you repent, then yours shall be your principal sums. Wrong no other and be not wronged yourselves. (Al-Baqarah: 278,279)

4. That is what Satan wants – to sow enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and gambling and keep you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Are you not then going to desist? (Al- Ma’idah: 91) And whoso kills a believer intentionally, then his punishment is Hell; therein shall he abide forever, he shall incur the wrath of Allah and He will reject him from His mercy, and He has prepared for him a grievous torment. (Al-Nisa: 93) And do not go near adultery, surely it is a great obscenity. And the evilest path. (Al-Isra: 32) Hadith and Social views: The vices, which Allah (SWT) has warned us against in Quran, are also indicated in Hadith. These vices cause social deterioration and disorder. It was narrated that 'Ubaidullah bin Abi Bakr said: "I heard Anas say: 'The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: The major sins are: Associating others with Allah (Shirk), disobeying one's parents, killing a soul (murder) and speaking falsely.'“(Sunan an-Nasa'i) Narrated Abdullah ibnAmribnal-'As: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes a bribe. ( Sunan Abi Dawud )IbnMas'ud narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who consumed Riba, and the one who changed it, those who witnessed it, and the one who recorded it." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)

5. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "An adulterer, at the time he is committing illegal sexual intercourse, is not a believer; and a person, at the time of drinking an alcoholic drink is not a believer; and a thief, at the time of stealing, is not a believer." IbnShihab said: `Abdul Malik bin Abi Bakr bin `Abdur-Rahman bin Al- Harith bin Hisham told me that Abu Bakr used to narrate that narration to him on the authority of Abu Huraira. He used to add that Abu Bakr used to mention, besides the above cases, "And he who robs (takes illegally something by force) while the people are looking at him is not a believer at the time he is robbing (taking). (Sahih al-Bukhari) Hadrat Sultan Bahoo’s (R.A) social views: Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A) is ranked among those distinctive and illustrious mystics who, with a view to reforming the society, presented unique views which constitute the base of the human society in its essence. In the context of social relation, he (R.A) warns us not to develop relations with disloyal because an individual’s inherent disposition affects the whole society. For example, it is useless to advise a person who is churlish by nature. Any ameliorative sermon would fall flat on him. It will be like an act of casting pearl before swine. To share any epistemic item with such people is like a futile attempt of sweetening the bitter water. He (R.A) warns: Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A) says: •Do not accompany treacherously and with slandering everyone you do not treat Hoo •Even you take Bitter melon to Makah they can never become sweet Hoo •Raven chicks can never become goose even if pearls you feed them to eat Hoo •Bitter wells can never be sweetened ‘Bahoo’ even if you add tons of sugar to treat Hoo Keeping this a particular point of his (R.A) ideology in view, a society expects its members, for its development, to be what is highlighted by such metaphors as sangi (a friend, chum), sweet- melon (an amicable person), goose (naïve or innocent), and sweet-wells (polite in manners).To make society a cradle of peace, its individuals should have the gentle demeanor, righteousness, self-confidence and humbleness. Man must possess the utmost civility. He should not utter any uncivilized or offensive remark. He must adhere to authenticity and truth in what he says. He should have the humbleness which will enable him to be magnanimous and discreet. Despite having carte blanche, he should have a lowly view about himself. Hadrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A) refers to such worthy ones as follows: •Hundred thousand sacrifices upon those Sufis who don’t utter awful thing Hoo •Thousands of thousand sacrifices upon those Sufis who only say one thing Hoo •Billions of sacrifices upon those Sufis upon their ego they tread Hoo •Trillion and trillions of sacrifices upon those Sufis who are pure gold but call themselves lead Hoo